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Famous people · Athens

5 famous people call Athens their birthplace

Henry L. Bowles, the American politician, is the most widely known, written about in 6 languages. The American entomologist Elmer Darwin Ball ranks second, ahead of James McMillan Shafter. Most were born in the early republic: 3 of them. Over 58 years of births, the list goes from Oscar L. Shafter (1812) to Elmer Darwin Ball (1870).

#1 best knownHenry L. BowlesPolitics & Law · 1866–1932
+1more
Born here
5
notable people
Best known
Henry L. Bowles
in 6 Wikipedia languages
First
1812
Oscar L. Shafter
Youngest
1870
Elmer Darwin Ball
Most common field
Politics & Law
4 people

What stands out about Athens’ famous people

★ What stands out · Through the years

When Athens’s famous people were born

The 1810s top the chart, with 3 births in the decade.

A new nationMills & railroads180018501900James McMillan ShafterElmer Darwin Ball
Politics & LawNotable

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

The best known

Born in Athens

Two of the three are leaders.

Henry L. Bowles#1
Politics & Law

Henry L. Bowles

1866–1932

American politician

6 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Elmer Darwin Ball#2
Notable

Elmer Darwin Ball

1870–1943

American entomologist

5 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
James McMillan Shafter#3
Politics & Law

James McMillan Shafter

1816–1892

American politician

3 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for

What Athens is known for

Athens has 3.8× the usual share of leaders.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Athens

Another 2, 2 of them leaders.

Oscar L. Shafter

Oscar L. Shafter

1812–1873

American judge

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
DP

David J. Powers

1814–1909

Wisconsin pioneer

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
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Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

3 towns around it have someone on record.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Athens and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.

Photo credits (6)